About WLH study

Project desciption

Oral contraceptives, use of hormone replacement therapy, dietary habits and other lifestyle factors affect the risk for cancer, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic diseases in young women. Approach: Starting in 1991, a comprehensive questionnaire was mailed to 96,000 Swedish women aged 30-49 years. Approximately 50,000 completed questionnaires were returned providing detailed information on a wide range of lifestyle factors with a focus on oral contraceptive use, diet, UV light exposure, reproductive factors and familial occurrence of cancer. This study is strictly coordinated with a similar study among 60,000 young women in Norway; apart from the dietary component, the questionnaires are identical and joint analyses are planned. In 2003 a second questionnaire was sent to all women to update information on lifestyle changes. Status: analysis is ongoing for several lifestyle factors and cancers of the breast, ovarium, endometrial, colorectal, skin, skin melanoma, lymphomas, as well as cardiovascular outcomes (myocardial infaction, haemorragic and ischaemic stroke), psychiatric diseases, sleeping disorders and overall mortality.

Time plan

Several analyses are being performed during the last years on different exposures, such as oral contraceptives, BMI, changes in body size and shape, UV radiation exposure, alcohol consumption, smoking, and risk of different cancer sites and overall mortality. The data management and analysis of the follow-up questionnaire is expected to be performed in 2008

Main financing

  • Pharmaceutical companies (for the initiation of the study)
  • Swedish Cancer Society (for computerization)
  • Swedish Research Council (for new questionnaire study)
  • Swedish Cancer Society (ongoing)

Partners

  • Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics - KI: Hans-Olov Adami (co-PI), Marie Lof (nutritionist), Sven Sandin (Statistician), Pouran Almsted (data base manager)
  • University of Tromsø, Norway: Eiliv Lund,Merethe Kumle, Inger Gram, Merethe Kumle, and Tonje Braaten (Tromsø, Norway)
  • Oslo University, Department of Statistics: Marit Veierod
  • University of Auckland, New Zealand: Prof. Robert Scragg (Head of dept. of Epidemiology) and Alistair Stewart (Senior statistician)
  • University of Birmingham, UK : Prof. Maurice Zeegers
  • University of Queensland, Australia : Prof. Gita Mishra
Last modified by: Pouran Almstedt 2012-01-25